The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-16
Records Showing that Patients Escaped Al
most Daily and No Effort Made by the
officers to Recapture Many of Them.


receiving only $40 month.
Question-What did YOU say?
Answer told DR.. Fletcher that higher than |
other mechanics getting: that I could get good
from the city, and they would board themselves DR..
Fletcher said he had nothing to do with the matter
that 1T was the trustees doings, and should the
men at work. | did So and they remained,
These men came in May, and the witness re-
signed in June. The trustees discharged men
without the witnesses knowledge to make room
for the new corners. The witness, as boss car
penter, got $75 month and boarded himself
A man named Cobb took his place. Clarke
Hancock and man whose name he coulo not then
recall were the men sent by Burrell from Jack
son county. When they came they were board
ed at Mt. jackson, and the trustees paid their
board. This was paid by Mr. Hall, the steward,
and was in addition to the wages. The men who
were paid $40 month and board were j. G.
Hess, Horn, Gibbs, j. A. Lewis and laborer
named Moore Regular wages for carpenters at
that time were from So 25 to So. 80 day.
Mrs. Rose Gordon, of this city, formerly
housekeeper in the mems department. of the hos
pital, left that position in September, 1885. She
is the daughter of the late DIR. Davenport, who
assistant superintendent of the hospital.
She testified that some of the time the butter
was good. sometimes passable, and about
fourth of the time passably bad. She had seen
fish that were bad delivered at the hospital, and
were kept and used. The dried fruits we're not
always perfect
John r. Gibson, of this city. for short time
q patient. and afterwards assistant storekeeper
and book-keeper under Hall, the steward from
September, 1883, until May, 1884, testified. He
said he had an opportunity to see the provisions
delivered there He saw butter come there that
was unfit for use. He saw some sent back under
DR.. Fletchers protest, which was again returned
to the hospital, was received. and stayed there
He had seen dried apples in barrels, with eight
or ten layers good on top and bad underneath.
They we're kept. He had also seen bad prunes
Question-Have you any member around
therea
Answer-Frequently never knew them to reject
anything. I Mr.. Gapen there. His attention
called to the dried apples. don't know what he
said, but the apples staid thcre.
Dr.. Fletcher frequently would come and say
things ought to be sent back but the witness never
knew an instance where they were sent back
He had seen bad rice also:rice that was common,
| inferior to what the requsitcn called for. These
| things extended over the whole period he was in
the supply department..
Mr. Wesner DIR. Harrisons attorney on crossex.
! animation asked You and Hall didn't agreed"
| The Witness-Not at all. The man not great
| way removed from idiot, he was so ignorant.
tried to do duty, but it impossible to get on
without clashing all the time not discharged,
| but resigned.
| Question--How much bad butter was there in that
| Answer-I think about six tubs of 100 or 1875
pounds EACH 1t all bro ught back the hospital
/ It came from the house of John e. Sullivan.
| Q.-What is your best Judgment as to She month";
A.-October or November 1883. It was Mr. Roth
who called Mr. Gapens attention to the apples. Once
when oil was advertised for for Corliss engines other
| oil was accepted and used
Henry NJ Marshall testified: He had been
employed at the hospital as hostler at officers
stable. He had seen hog killing He saw hogs
| killed in the same pens neigborhood of hogs
| lying dead.
Question-Wbat disease did the hogs die of
Answer-Don't know positively, but heard it was
| cholera
| Odd you eat pork out therel
| A.-(Emphatcaly) No, sir.
| The witness thought it was in February, 1884
| that he had seen the cholera hogs dead in the
| pens. There were two hogs He didn't know
| now long they had lain there.
The most telling testimony brought out was
that of the reports of the ward attendants of
the female department made to the officer of
the day-that is, the physician whose duty it is
! to compile these reports and to show each day
the condition of subsistence in the depart ment
Mr.. Morton, of the counsel pursuing
| the inquiry, read the ward attendants reports,
| as before stated, for the month of August,
1856, aud showed the reports of the officer of tho
| were silent as to subsistence, and were unsigned.
The reports of the officer of the day for the male
| department were brought up and were duly
signed. The reports OF ward attendants of the
female department for August, 1886, bore the
following comments
| Aug 1.-Ward IL, coffee bad. Aug. 2-Ward 8.
bread sour meat for breakfast sour. Aug. Ward
Ward g. butter bad. Aug. 11-Wards 10, and z,
butter bad. Aug. 12-Wards II and 4. butter very
strong. Aug 14-Ward ID. bread sour; Ward 4,
b,,4to CIV A,,o ri II
butter not good bread very heavy; Ward 4, butter
not good; Ward g. bread sour butter strong; Ward 8
bread very butter not good Ward IL bread sour
Aug 17-Ward 8, bread sour butter bad; Wards /
g. S and 6, butter bad. Aug. 1S-Wards a s. 6 and
z butter very strong; Ward 8. utter bad Aug l9
Wards 3. 1, 2, g. and Is, butter bad; Ward 8
bread sour butter bad. Aug. 2O-Wards 1, 3, s,
and H. butter very bad. Aug. Edwards 8, 1, s
butter bad Aug. 20 Wards 8. IL and 1, butter
bad. Aug 24-Ward 10, butter bad; Ward g.
butter bad bread sour. Aug. 25-Ward H. butter
yerybad. Aug edwards !, 5; 2 8 and II butter
Aug. 28-Wards 1 and a butter bad Ward 8, very
very strong. Aug. 29-Ward z butter bad. Aug
3O-Wards 1. 3, 5. z s and 8, butter bad. Aug. 81
Wards 8 and IL, butter very strong.
DR.. Harrison got up. and In a strong whispe,
conveyed the information to q newspaper mar
, that this didn't amount to much as the com
plants only came from few wards, and there
were forty eight wards In the hospital. On in
quiry. the reporter found that in the part of the
hospital then under consideration. the female
department. there are now only twenty three
wards, one ward having been turned into q din
ing-ro The proportion of complaint is sure
ly large enough on this representation. "A
former employo gave the further information